Evers seeks to challenge Pence on dairy policy
MADISON – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers took a jab Monday at Vice President Mike Pence, saying people should challenge Pence when he visits the state on his views on preserving small dairy farms.
“I hope that somebody asks him if he agrees with Sonny Perdue when Sonny Perdue said that small farms are history in the state of Wisconsin,” Evers told reporters.
Evers was referring to comments made by President Donald Trump’s agriculture secretary when he visited Wisconsin in October. Perdue did not flatly say small dairy farms “are history” but did suggest they would need to get bigger to stay in business.
Pence will appear Tuesday at the state Capitol to give a speech promoting private voucher schools as part of Na
tional School Choice Week. Evers, formerly the state’s schools superintendent, said he would not be in the Capitol when Pence gives his speech.
With his brief comments Monday, Evers tried to shift attention Monday to dairy policy and Perdue’s comments.
“Now what we see, obviously, is economies of scale having happened in America — big get bigger and small go out,” Perdue said in October. “It’s very difficult on economies of scale with the capital needs and all the environmental regulations and everything else today to survive milking 40, 50, 60 or even 100 cows, and that’s what we’ve seen.”
He went on to say that it “remains to be seen” whether farms would have to get bigger to stay in business.
“Everyone will have to make their own decisions economically whether they can survive,” Perdue said then. “Farmers are pretty good at managing and managing through tough times.”
A spokesman for Pence did not immediately react to Evers’ comments.
Evers last week called a special legislative session to deal with the dairy crisis. He has offered an $8.5 million package aimed at improving dairy exports.